Patrol

New San Francisco Sheriff Reverses Ban on Communicating with Immigration Agents

In one of her first acts in office, San Francisco Sheriff Vicki Hennessy plans to reverse her predecessor’s policy barring deputies at the city jail from communicating with federal immigration agents — a policy that came under fire last year after a man wanted for deportation was released from jail and then was accused of killing a woman on Pier 14.

Hennessy, who was sworn in Friday, is working with her staff and legal counsel to develop a new policy that would roll back the controversial March 13 memo issued by former Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi banning all communication with immigration agents seeking to deport jailed suspects absent a warrant or court order, said Chief of Staff Eileen Hirst.

The move by Hennessy, who was highly critical of the memo throughout her campaign, further distances her from the turbulent tenure of her predecessor, but is likely to stir opposition from immigrant advocates, many of whom supported Mirkarimi’s directive, SFGate.com reports.

Scanner audio captured an officer’s account of what happened at the scene, CWBChicago reports: “Ten people surrounded me, indicating that they had firearms. And one person pulled him away from me, holding his waist, indicating that he would use a firearm against me.”

There were so many police officers, sheriff’s deputies and Highway Patrol troopers that the court appearance had to be moved out of Justice Court to Judge John Larson’s Courtroom Number Three on the third floor of the Missoula County Courthouse.

The vehicle pursuit ended in the town of Kittitas where Deputy Thompson was backed up by Officer Benito Chavez. The suspect exited the vehicle and exchanged shots with the two law enforcement officers.

Sarah Wilson and her boyfriend were arrested during a stop in Chesapeake after officers allegedly found drugs in the 1996 Lexus the couple were driving. Police said they handcuffed Wilson and, while attempting to apprehend her boyfriend, 27-year-old Holden Medlin, he became combative and ran away from the scene.